Thorne Rejoins Aggies & Wins City to Sea

City to the Sea Half Marathon is a local race, so my hubs, Joe, and I didn’t have to stress about the care of our two kiddos. My goal for City to the Sea was to have an enjoyable experience. The last half marathon I raced was in November of 2016 and I vowed not to race another one. I felt that bad. Having my long run top off at 9.5 miles (just the week before) surely didn’t help. This go around was quite different. My long runs and workouts have been solid since rejoining the Aggies. I have also figured out how to balance my two stress outlets/passions - running and CrossFit.

It was a crispy-ish, Fall-ish (typical) Central Coast morning. We had a solid representation from the HOKA Aggies at the event. With 7 members either racing or pacing, the starting line was full of Aggies. After a short warm-up and a kiss from Joe at the line, the race was off. Interesting conversation between Kelsey, Derek and myself, made the first 6 miles fly by. Around mile 6, I made the decision to pick up the pace slightly. From that point on, I tried to run down guy after guy. Of course, there’s always “that guy” who, when a woman comes up on him, he surges then slows… then surges and slows. This always adds some comedic relief in races (as well as annoyance sometimes!). I finally broke away from “that guy” as we approached the hill on Avila Beach Drive. I used the downhills, charged up the hills, enjoyed the GORGEOUS scenery and crossed the line victorious.

Sometimes I don’t want to run. Sometimes it hurts when I run. This race day wasn’t one of those times. Never did a negative thought enter my mind, which is rare, and my body felt strong. I wanted to put forth a hard effort and you know what? I did, and it felt damn good.